Aldridge Added to Georgia College Athletics Hall of Fame Class

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. - The Georgia College
Department of Athletics is pleased to announce its 2013 class for
the Georgia College Athletics Hall of Fame. Rounding out the class
is administrator and basketball coach Dr. Stan
Aldridge.

On the Mount Rushmore of Georgia College Athletics, Aldridge
would be firmly positioned next to Dr. Michael
Peeler. Where Peeler set the foundation for future
athletic and academic successes, Aldridge set the framework for the
move to NCAA Division II and joining the Peach Belt Conference
(PBC).

Aldridge came to Georgia College to coach the men’s
basketball squad in 1975, and prior to joining the administrative
ranks in 1986, brought in Georgia Intercollegiate Athletic
Association (GIAC) Coach of the Year honors twice.

He served as Director of Athletics for the Colonials and then
Bobcats for 17 years, taking over after the passing of Dr. Peeler.
Just as comfortable mowing the outfield grass as he was in
university board room meetings, Aldridge fostered the culture of
community in the Georgia College Athletic Department, everyone
coming together for a common goal; graduating student-athletes,
developing them to be contributors to society while fielding
competitive programs.

Under his watch, the program made continual and steady progress
and became widely respected across the country for
excellence. Aldridge added women’s soccer in 2004 and
constructed an outstanding soccer facility. Facility upgrades
were a constant during his tenure. Baseball and softball
dugouts were constructed to include bathroom facilities. The
Centennial Center received a message board and courtside tables
with advertising capabilities.

Aldridge was the catalyst for the 20-year run of Georgia College
hosting the GISA State Basketball Championships. This event
brought thousands of fans from across the state into Milledgeville
each winter. As the mission of the institution changed,
Aldridge set aside scholarship funds for outstanding academic
achievement and created a program to assist student-athletes that
had exhausted their playing eligibility but needed additional time
to finish their degree. The back-to-back PBC
Commissioner’s Cup titles are a direct correlation to the
foundation that Aldridge laid throughout his career.

Aldridge, Luiza Bitkyakova and baseball’s
Chris Carr will be honored as part of
Homecoming/Alumni Weekend Saturday, Feb. 23. They will be
recognized at halftime of the men's game of a basketball
doubleheader against the University of Montevallo and again at a
formal ceremony in the Magnolia Ballroom, tentatively set for an 8
p.m. start.

For ticketing information on how to be a part of the Georgia
College Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony Feb. 23, contact
the athletic department at 478-445-6341.

The Georgia College Department of Athletics, two-time winners of
the PBC Commissioner's Cup, sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs
at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, Bobcat
Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the
student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' multiple appearances in
post-season competition as well as documented academic success and
community-service involvement. Sign up at
www.twitter.com/BobcatSports and www.facebook.com/gcbobcats for
up-to-the-minute reports, and visit www.GCBobcats.com for more
information, and to nominate your favorite former Bobcats and
Colonials to the GC Athletics Hall of Fame.